5 Teaching Ideas for the Summer Term

Date: 20/06/2018 Category: School and Nursery Classrooms

The summer term is upon us, and it’s a great time to do something different. With most of the year’s teaching out of the way, there’s so much scope for special projects, outdoor classes and other unusual lessons. Try these summer teaching ideas to keep your students engaged during the final term of the year.

1. Outdoor learning

When the sun’s out, outdoors is the perfect learning environment for inquisitive children. Here are some ideas:

Treasure hunt. This could involve searching for naturally-occurring objects, colours or shapes, or hunting down specially planted clues and prizes.

Studying minibeasts and their habitats.

Identifying wild flowers.

Sowing sunflower seeds or other plants, and nurturing them as they grow.

2. Get the class moving

Sporting activities often dominate the summer term. Whether or not you are holding an official Sports Day, there are plenty of activities that you can try during lesson time, to get everyone moving in the warmer weather:

Use a hopscotch grid and get pupils to jump onto the number they think is the right answer.

Throw a beanbag to the person whose turn it is to speak next.

Get your class to act as a large-scale model of the concept you’re teaching! Perhaps they could be electrons bonding or opposing sides at war.

3. Exam support

For pupils faced with SATS, GCSEs and other assessments, the summer term is inextricably linked with exams. It’s a critical time for them, and there’s plenty you can do to support your students during exam season:

Hold revision sessions to help consolidate the year’s learning and prepare for exams.

Offer meditation, yoga and other relaxation classes. There’s a lot of pressure on exam candidates, so relaxation is important for their mental wellbeing.

Give students a space to retreat to if the stress gets too much. Many schools have an ELSA room to support pupils’ emotional literacy.

4. Topical projects

There’s an abundance of seasonal celebrations, tournaments and festivals that take place during the summer term. Stay topical and teach classes relating to:

VE Day

The summer solstice

Ramadan and Eid (these don’t always fall during the summer months, but they do in 2018 and 2019)

Tour de France

The World Cup (every 4 years, including 2018)

Wimbledon

5. Seek feedback

The summer term marks the end of another academic year. In the last weeks of term, why not gather some valuable data that’ll help inform your teaching? Ask pupils to comment on the high and low points of the year; what went well, and what could have been improved. They’ll enjoy being the ones to ‘mark’ your teaching, and will appreciate the chance to offer their own opinions. The summer term is also a good time for self-assessment, as students can reflect on their achievements during the year.

Get the best out of the summer term with outdoor classrooms from Green Modular. Cool, comfortable and with easy access to outdoor space, our modular school buildings are ideal for summer learning.